Can opener



Feb. 17, 1953 l.. 1. YEoMANs 2,628,422 Y CAN OPENER Filed Aug. 9, 1949 ,fediate'wibnwi@nieuwe closed anflorrenji ving 1th h Patented Feb. 17, 1953 standing doubiesam 'seaiingits ,bqdy

relates to canU openers in t circular' snel 1 dept-d t0 f V t m' ortion'of the ef the can. l 1t 1s an ohjetofth .to provide'an improved, `portah1e,' nia'nuallyjope able `an opener of the aforesaidI ueflji'ara'pter',lfor eleanly rfrern'ovir'ig an end ofa can rei'ardless of 'itserossfsectional y supporting surffaoe without freed` for theuser' to jin substantiallyjperpendicul device andv is operative'to retain the severed 'can .s im angle greater thar190. '-thereto'so'tht, the end after its separationjuntiid gagenientvby 20 shoulder tapersto"a:shearingfedge. ,v 'Lhe cutting the user so as to eliminate the n c essityrof han- 'disk I0 isl carriedjby the outerend of the handle `dling Vit with the) attendant danger 'of 'cutting or I8. TQ this end'thelfhandie has v gedthereina soiling thefii'sershands. stud 28which in, turn supportsganf'arborbushing 3i). theih'andle end vbeing` aperturedto receive-the :stud: and being clamped between the tippel- `end of :the 'bushing T30 andaheadlw formed one-the acornpanyingdrawingsglillh i againstendwisemovement-betweenahead 3Dagon l y ,liguife 1 iswapianview ofwacannopener*inthel'o'wer end'ofj the b'shing'jand-athrustwasher rporating the features of the present inven- 50' 32interposed"betweenthetdisk'body I0a-'and'the 0.1911 Y .v Plate'lll n Fig. lm2 isla view s f 4ilar to Fig. 1 but vshowing `To permitlaterai movement'oftheeutting disk the openerapplieiwtp a gran I0 rtoward"a'nd'rmn ithe"'feedfr011er I2;thev upper A Fig. 3 15,a,fragmentary:vertieal;setioonu-an end-'ofthe'arborbshingtis'receivedfiiraweam lkerilialged.;scale." taken substantially in the plane 35v slot"34 formed'-in'the"thiekfp'ortion I4a"'of*the of line 3- 3 invFg. 2. A* I A n A plate I4. Ths10t'34-i'S'straight 'sidedardis'of Fpig-14is' a 4fragrnentary vertical section taken a length sufficient' to permit-@movement of 'the substantially in the plane of line 4 4 in Fig. 2. Cutting fdisk v"IIl"0itvva1d1y"snrtlraft 'thefshearing Fig. 5 is aA perspeetiveviewof the latch mem- "shoulder 'Ib' Completely clears'the 'b'dYWaIIB Aloer of the can opener shown inthe preceding 4o` of the can`C."Simi-1ar1yf thel slot' '34""eiitendsv iniigur'es. l Y n "'wardly jan"'arr'iovunt'fsuivicienttofpermitVF inward Referring more particularly nto y.the drawings, movement'of the'diskf'lds thatthiipp'e'portion the illustrative embodimentof the'pi'esent inven- "of itsliotiy" I'Ua Vclan:y engage"thdfouteFsurfaee "of tion'inoludes a cutting disk -or circularfshe'ar' I3 `the Cariseam.Sandv eiaipfthe"'satneibetween it boulder ,'I'Db porting or complementary yst iear member which 'movement"alsqcansesf'thefsiea n are adapted fon'engage'enEwith the end oir a "to be movedto'wardth allfofthe can, conventional can Cand air-M ,effectivetofrenove parentthat the same, together'4 with'supportingnieans for, upon scissoring together of the handles ItA and both and drive means for the roller. In Figs. 2 50 I8 with the attendant movement of the arbor and 3 such a can is shown which has a cylindrical bushing 30 alone the Straight-sided cam slot 34 body Wall B and an end Wall E, the two walls bethere is produced a slight relative motion being joined in an upstanding double seam S. tween the handles and plate I4. The result of In the present instance the supporting means this relative motion is that the cutting disk I0 lincludes a Istepped plate I4 having a relatively 55 obliquely engages the body Wall B. Further 3 scissoring together of the handles produces a wedging of the shearing shoulder Ib, with a slight rolling motion thereof, through the body wall of the can below the double seam S, and adjacent the inner surface of end wall E.

To rotate the serrated feed roller I2 a reduction gearing is employed. Thus xed to the upper end of the shaft 24 is a driven gear 40 which meshes with adriving gear 42 which is of a smaller diameter, and the latter is adapted to be rotated by a hand crank 44. To this end, both the driving gear and the crank are fixed adjacent the upper end of a shaft 46 which is rotatably supported in a bearing bushing 48. The latter is secured in the thick portion I4a of the plate I4.

In practicing the present invention, novel means is provided to maintain the cutting disk and feed roller latched in cutting relation to relieve the user of necessity of continuously maintaining a holding force on the handles I6 and IB in order to keep the feed roller I2 and cutting disk IIJ in clamping engagement with the can. In the present instance this means includes a latch member 59 which is supported adjacent the upper end of the xed bearing bushing 26 and is engageable with the cylindrical head 28a of the cutting disk supporting stud 28. 'Ihe latch member 50 has its inner end enlarged and provided with a hole 52 in which the upper end of the bearing bushing is received and which is of a diameter permitting free swinging of the latch member thereon. Adjacent its outer end the latch member is turned rearwardly so as to provide an arcuate cam or locking edge 54 which is arranged to engage the head 28a of the stud 23 in any of its operating positions. To permit manual positioning of the latch member 59 it has an upturned ngerpiece 56 rigid with its free end.

Upon inspection of the drawings, it will be noted that rotation of the handle 44 in the normal or clockwise direction will produce a counterclockwise rotation of the driven gear which is mounted adjacent and concentric with the latch member I). While clearance is provided between the upper face of the latch member and the lower face of the gear 4Q, should the latch Vmember or gear'become bent, insufficient clearance be allowed uponlfabrication of the opener, or should dirt be allowed to collect between these elements,

` a drag could be produced. It will be readily appreciated, however, that with the arrangement shown should there be any tendency for drag to occur between the driven gearfl and the latch member 5S which might tend to move the latter, such movement will be in a direction to maintain the latch in locking engagement with the stud head 28a thereby minimizing the chance .of it becoming loosened accidentally.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, itY will be seen that with the construction and arrangement illustrated, the instant can opener can be operated with equal facility by either left or right-handed users. Whether the handles I6 and I8 be gripped in either hand the position of the latch member 50 is such that it is always convenient for actuation by the thumb of the hand in which the handles are held. Further, there is no danger of the latch interferring with the operation of the opener or causing the users hand to be pinched.

It will be apparent that not only is the seamed portion S of the can gripped between the feed roller I2 and the cutting disk I0 during the removal of the can end, but also it is held after the can end has been severed. 'I'he latch member 50 must be positively moved into position to release the stud head 28a in order to free the can end. Thus the user can completely remove the severed can end for its disposal Without having to touch it. Consequently, any danger of soiling or injury to the users hands is avoided.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a circular shear type of opener for cans having a body wall and an end wall sealed together byy an upstanding double seam, the combinationV comprising a stepped plate having a cam slot therein, a pair of pliers-type handles pivotally connected intermediate their ends with the inner end of one pivoted on'said plate, a first supporting member fixed adjacent the inner end of the other of said handles and extending through said cam slot, a cutting disk journaled on said supporting member and having a cylindrical body portion and a peripherally disposed shearing shoulder rigid therewith, a second supporting member journaled in said plate, a serrated feed roller rigid with said second supporting member, crank operated reduction gearing including a driven gear element rigid with said second supporting member and effective to drive saidfeed roller, said feed roller and the body portion of said cutting disk being engageable respectively with the inner and outer surfaces of the cam seam and said shearing shoulder being adapted to penetrate the body wall of the can adjacent to and below the end wall thereof upon scissoring together of said handles, and a substantially L.-shaped latch pivoted on one of said supporting members and engageable with the other to maintain said roller and disk in engagement with the can seam.

2. In a circular shear type can opener for cans having a body wall and an end wall sealed together by an upstanding double seam, the combination comprising a plate, a stud movable laterally with respect to said plate, a cutting disk journaled on said stud, a feed roller supported on said plate for rotation about an axis parallel to that of said cutting disk, said feed roller and said cutting disk being engageable respectively with the inner and outer surfaces of the can seam, and a latch member pivoted for movement about the axis of said feed roller and having a cam surface engageable with said cutting disk supporting stud to urge said cutting disk and feed roller toward each other and to maintain the same in engagement wtih the can seam.

Y LUCIEN I. YEOMANS.

l REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS svistaV 

